Method of making an edge seal for a semiconductor device

US6734090B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Birendra Agarwala · Hopewell Junction, US
• Hormazdyar M. Dalal · Lagrangeville, US
• Eric G. Liniger · Danbury, US
• Diana Llera-Hurlburt · Fishkill, US
• Du Nguyen · Danbury, US
• Richard W. Procter · Hopewell Junction, US
• Hazara S. Rathore · Stormville, US
• Chunyan E. Tian · Hopewell Junction, US
• Brett H. Engel · Fishkill, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 2002
• Grant date: May 11, 2004
• Expiry date: Mar 11, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76807
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An edge seal around the periphery of an integrated circuit device which environmentally protects the copper circuitry from cracks that may form in the low-k interlevel dielectric during dicing. The edge seal essentially constitutes a dielectric wall between the copper circuitry and the low-k interlevel dielectric near the periphery of the integrated circuit device. The dielectric wall is of a different material than the low-k interlevel dielectric.